JOY to the Children, Inc. is an organization that provides Nassau County's neediest children and their families with a holiday celebration on Christmas Day.

In 1994, a group of friends gathering for the holiday decided to reach out to the local community to help those families that "fall through the cracks", families who often go without the most basic necessities, let alone holiday gifts. That initial outreach started with 36 children and today has reached over 2,000 children and their families.

Throughout the year, JOY's volunteer board reaches out to the community to organize this celebration through local agencies and teachers to identify participating children and their families. JOY is a 501(c)(3) organization that allows us to offer tax-deductible benefits for our patrons' donations. Through these donations, volunteers shop for clothes, toys, books, bedding, underwear, socks, backpacks, school supplies and stocking stuffers, plus a special gift that in the past has included bikes and Leap Pad computers that are used in the school system. Two days before Christmas, hundreds of volunteers arrive at the school site to wrap all the gifts for a most festive presentation. On Christmas Day the families are welcomed at Yulee's new Middle School, where the decorated auditorium and scores of volunteers await their arrival. A bountiful feast is provided for the entire family, along with entertainment and visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus and the Pirate Club of Fernandina Beach.

As JOY to the Children, Inc. prepares to celebrate it's 13th year, we invite you to be part of this loving tradition with a cash donation, in-kind donation of supplies or your valuable time and talents. Some of the volunteer opportunities include shopping for toys for each child in early December, wrapping gifts, and serving as "Table Angels" on Christmas Day. To witness the joy of these families is truly a heartwarming experience and a celebration of the "spirit of giving."